


All fools in love.

by hufflepuffhero



Category: Gotham (TV)
Genre: All of the gotham Children, Don't worry. I will fix it, Ed and Oswald's school for lost children, F/M, Fluff, Isabella is wickam, Lots of Mutual love, M/M, Miss Mooney is still queen, Sassy Oswald, She will not be sticking aroun, Slow Burn, Slow af ngl, So don't worry kids, What's babs doing?, Why is Ed Nygma such a boob you ask?, pride and prejudice au
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-06-07
Updated: 2017-06-08
Packaged: 2018-11-10 13:00:15
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 3,922
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11127471
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/hufflepuffhero/pseuds/hufflepuffhero
Summary: Ed Nygma is certain that Oswald is the last man that he could be prevailed upon to love. Oswald has been meditating on the very great pleasure which a pair of fine eyes in a pretty face can bestow. In spite of all of the restless noise that constantly circles around them, and old rivalries that still burn strong will Ed and Oswald find themselves together in spite of themselves.





	1. A different kind of family.

"IT is a truth universally acknowledged, that a single man in possession of a good fortune must be in want of a wife." There was a collective groan. Jerome elaborately rolled his eyes and went back to staring at the bullet hole in the table. Barbra scoffed and whispered something to Tabitha under his breath Ed simply gave a sigh.

"That is an oversimplification of epic proportions Butch. Besides which its not always the case" he pushed the glasses that had fallen to the bridge of his nose back to his temple. Jerome gave a pointed look at Barbra and Tabitha "Apparently hardly ever in Gotham." They ignored him, as they always did. Jerome wasn't much liked by anyone in their close acquaintance, it didn't seem to bother him all that much. Ed sometimes thought that he took pleasure in being disliked by certain people. 

"I'm just saying" Butch continued, undeterred "Maybe we should go and see him"

"And what marry one of them off" Jerome flicked his knife in Barbra and Tabitha's general direction "yes I'm sure that will go down swimmingly" Barbra raised an eyebrow at him. He retracted his knife. 

When Ed Nygma tried to remember exactly how he had ended up with this particular bunch of misfits it gave him something of a headache. They hadn't planned any kind of formal alliance or old fashioned friendship, they'd just sort of ended up together. They had all once been members of Gotham's elite, and all of them had fallen equally hard on luck over the last few years. Jerome was very secretive but from what Ed understood, he'd lost a great deal of money in a game of Cards. Barbra went through a rather messy separation from a man who is still widely considered the sweetheart of Gotham. Ed had to admit he didn't much care as to what had happened to Butch but he thought he could recall something about a spectacular fight in which he was left maimed and robbed. Tabitha perhaps was the exception, as far as Ed could tell, she hadn't lost any money. Her reputation had admittedly suffered a little with her brothers imprisonment, but she seemed to stick around from some kind of genuine affection for Barbra. Ed hadn't lost a lot of money like Jerome- he hadn't had all that much to start with, but he'd been Gotham's golden boy, who couldn't do any wrong... until he did. He'd been arrested, institutionalised, totally wiped from the life that he knew. Somehow he'd ended up here.

"we aren't going to visit him. Why should we?" Jerome and Butch were still fighting, Barbra and Tabitha had apparently stopped listening. 

"I'm just saying we should. He's a powerful man" 

"So am I"

"you are a child Jerome for a start." 

"We aren't going."

Ed clicked his tongue against his teeth "Well I don't suppose we have much of a choice. Butch has already accepted all our invitations after all."  

"He's done what?" Jerome stood up from his chair so quickly he almost defied gravity. It was scary how quick his mood could change from menacing to downright lethal.

"It won't be that bad. You never know you might like one of his girls?" Butch, who had been pretending not to be frightened of Jerome very successfully up until this point, took such a big step back his back now touched the wall. 

"I guess we better get ready for this ball then?" Tabitha muttered from her space at the other side of the room. Jerome stopped pretending to decide whether to stab Butch and resigned himself to making faces from where he stood in the corner of the room. 

"Just like old times" Barbra's smile was venomous. 

 

* * *

 "So what do you think? You think he's really all that Jazz?" Butch asked quietly as they waited alone for Jerome and the girls in the car.

"Must be. Everybody is talking" Ed replied, though in truth he was more than sceptical if Oswald Cobblepot could be all that they said, if he was even real for that matter. 

"You know Gotham. People talk. Could be nothing."

"Then why did you make us come to his party?" 

"I don't know. Worth a try? And I think I'm less likely to kill Jerome in a public place." The girls and Jerome finally made their way to the car, he had one lady on each of his arms. Barbra, as always, cleaned up immaculately; Even Tabitha had managed to translate some of her intimidating intenseness into a sort of elegance. Jerome hadn't tried, he looked like a schoolchild forced by his parents to go to prom, he made a point out of dragging his heels as he walked and rolling his eyes whenever he looked at Butch. "But then" Butch murmured as they loaded into the car. "Maybe not."

Ed would say this for Oswald Cobblepot, he knew how to throw a party. The event, which he had proudly named his "welcoming soiree" was being held in his nightclub. There was a crowd around the building the likes of which Ed had never seen in Gotham, even the old Wayne balls he remembered as a kid hadn't been this crowded. Reporters gossiped and cameras flashed. Ed fought back the same desperate urge to run away as he always had at this kind of event. It was hard being an extroverted introvert. The others easily found their rhythm in the crowd, Barbra and Tabitha disappeared almost instantly to pose for pictures and make sure they were seen by everyone important. Jerome, though he was exceedingly annoying,  had many talents; not least of which was that he was practically a magnet for gossip, he set about creating a mental picture of Oswald and his guests. Butch told Ed that he would meet him at the door and began pushing through the crowd of all of those without invitations. Ed simply stared for a moment at the building in front of him, he couldn't shake the feeling that Oswald cobblepot and Co. Would be strangely important in their lives from now on. 

It was impossible to avoid picking up little bits of gossip as Ed picked through the crowd, but it wasn't until he saw Jerome again that he could begin to paint even a distorted full picture of Mr Cobblepot. Jerome had discovered that he was reportedly:

1) Exceedingly handsome. He had many sources for that, including one Fish Mooney who had been their acquaintance for some time (though she was far from what Ed considered a reliable source.) 

2) Immeasurably rich. This was undisputed. Ed pointed out that he could have made that deduction alone from the huge elaborate building he was directly facing that Oswald Cobblepot owned. 

3) A ruthless business man. This was new. Ed pondered it a moment, he hadn't heard anything of Oswald's character before. He decided it wasn't a particularly useful description, who in Gotham was successful and couldn't be described that way.

4) in the company of two young ladies and a young man. The ladies were reportedly very beautiful though one was much older than the other. And the man was even more illusive than Oswald. Even Jerome couldn't find any gossip on him. 

5) (And perhaps most cuttingly) In the intimate company of one James Gordon. 

Jerome apologised about the bad news on that account. Though he couldn't help but scowl Ed forced himself not to mention Gordon; he asked Jerome about the girls instead. 

"Well you don't have to wonder long" Jerome tilted his head in the direction of the reporters. "There she is. The older of the two. Ivy Pepper." 

 

Ivy Pepper was tall for her age, but not nearly as old as Edward had expected. She was just barely Jerome's age, perhaps not even that. She wore a long green dress that glittered in the street light, over which a mass of scarlet hair fell in curls. She was pretty, objectively but she wasn't at all what he had been expecting. For one she was not nearly old enough to be Oswald's lover if reports and general morality were to be believed. More than that though, she was... Charming. Ivy Pepper was not the kind of girl that you would see on the arm of a strict business man, she was sweet looking, calm and easygoing. She was lovable and Ed wasn't the only one who thought so. 

"She's the queen here tonight. See how she's caught the reporters attention" Jerome was right, all eyes were on her. 

"She's not his wife. I mean we knew that but I thought she might be..."

"his mistress?" Jerome asked with a smirk. 

"Well she's not." Ivy looked over at them for a moment, caught Jerome's eye and smiled. He never had been discreet. 

"No" Jerome agreed "He says 'sister' but they aren't related, not by blood." Jerome shrugged and picked out Barbra and Tabitha in the crowd. Ed couldn't help but think he saw Jerome's dark eyes soften a little at the familiarity "They're like us I suppose. A different kind of family" 

Ed faltered. Is that what they were? Family. He hadn't thought of it like that before and Jerome was the last person he expected to be so sentimental. 

"What are you two doing?" Butch caught Ed on the back of the shoulder and steered them both in the direction of Oswald Cobblepot's club. "You're showing me up. Mr Cobblepot is expecting you"

 


	2. Should we bow Mr Cobblepot?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The ice lounge is as impressive inside as it is out and as for it's owner... Well at the very least Ed can't say he isn't interesting. Ed is forced to suffer through the party from hell where Oswald Cobblepot is undoubtedly the devil.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello friends. I don't think I've mentioned yet that I'm super dyslexic. So if I accidentally spell Pizza with an N or something stupid like that you know why.   
> Also if you want to like tell me that I've spelled things wrong or shout at me or ask any questions just hit me up at @thebreathingsofmyheart on tumblr.

Of course "Oswald Cobblepot is expecting you" is statement that is at least a little bit intimidating but it was what they'd all come here for... Wasn't it. Ed had been through a grand transformation in the last year, he was now confident, collected, always in charge but there were times when the small, nervous little man that he'd been reared his head. This was one of those times, he found himself nervously biting the inside of his lip, fingers straying restlessly at his sides; there was something about this place that made him feel small again. It made him feel like he was the last person in the whole world who could ever matter.

Butch grabbed the two girls and dragged the four of them through the glass doors and up the stairs. Ed read a sign on the wall that said "The Iceberg lounge" it was a pretty name, though Ed was quite certain he didn't know the full story behind it. The lounge itself was crowded, but not nearly as crowded as it had been outside. It was occupied solely by people dressed in long tailcoats and formal dresses. The whole place looked like a sea of up-dos and glitter. Before Ed could make a comment on the decoration or begin to search the crowd for which of these gentlemen might be Oswald Cobblepot, he and Jerome were dragged by Butch towards the tall ginger girl they'd seen earlier and a much less collected younger girl. Butch smiled at Ivy in an almost amiable manner and set about introducing them "Miss Pepper, Miss Kyle" Ivy smiled back. Her smile was disarming. Miss kyle's was less so. "These are the acquaintances I was telling you about earlier. This is Jerome valeska" in spite of himself, Jerome always put on a good show. He kissed the back of Ivy's hand elaborately and gave Selina a small but curt nod. "And this is Edward Nygma." 

Ivy's eyes lit up as she looked at Ed "You are the one who likes riddles?" she asked. Jerome laughed, even Ed felt himself getting a little embarrassed, but Ivy was so gentle, he was sure that wasn't her intention. 

"My reputation proceeds me" Ed shook her hand. Ivy's silent friend didn't meet his gaze when he turned to her, she was making a show out of looking bored and hostile. Ed forced himself to hold back a smirk. So Oswald Cobblepot had a Jerome too? and he hadn't yet thrown her out on the street. That was a start in discerning his character. 

"Oh." Ivy had been following his gaze. "That's Selena. She doesn't talk much." She smiled again and somehow without ever communicating that she intended to do so, she wound her little arm inside of Ed's elbow and gestured for Selena to do the same to Jerome. When she spoke again she kept her voice low "You must promise me that you will give me a riddle some time, I do so love a challenge." She began winding her way though the crowd of people, occasionally stopping to smile at people she knew as she did. Ed understood immediately how invaluable she must be to Oswald, she was infinitely charming and able to set his guests at ease with one small look. "I'll take you to meet Os now. Though I should warn you he doesn't much like meeting new people." that makes two of us, Ed thought to himself.

When the Oswald's girls left them briefly to call him over, Jerome informed Ed that his conversation with Selena had been much more limited. Apparently, she didn't share Ivy's easy charisma and charm. Ed only half listened to Jerome's ranting, his attention was fixed on Selena and Ivy. They were talking in whispers to a young man with hair so light it was almost silver. Ed was almost sure that he couldn't be Oswald, all of the gossip had suggested he was dark of hair. It wasn't until the blond man laughed and glanced over in their direction that Ed began to put together a scenario. "That's the man Oswald brought with him I suppose." he whispered to Jerome who was watching the girls just as closely. He tilted his head slightly in thought and gave the look he gave sometimes when he was thinking something very dangerous. It was a look Ed had come to fear. 

"am I the only one who feels like we're on display here." he muttered. He sounded irritated, maybe even angry. "Don't you see. We're the freaks in the freakshow. They think we aren't good enough to be here. I knew it would be like this." Ed but his hand on Jerome's shoulder in an attempt to calm him down, they were in this together after all. Jerome just shook his head and didn't say another word, he gestured to the girls who were now coming towards them with an entirely different man in tow. Ed didn't know where he'd come from but he knew exactly who he was. 

* * *

Oswald Cobblepot was not tall, he was had no easy grace, and he was not in any conventional way, "exceedingly handsome". The first thing that Ed noticed was that his walk was stunted by something and he was forced to limp. Though he dressed well, it was not in the same way that the others here dressed well. He dressed to lead rather than to impress. He was decidedly bird like in every feature. Ed found himself indulging for a moment in the thought that the Iceberg lounge was a fitting name for Oswald's establishment. It's owner was Ice cold in demeanour and his eyes were like steel. They raked across Edwards body and that of his companion. Ed had the same feeling he'd had at the door, Oswald Cobblepot made him feel small. Perhaps that's what Jerome had been talking about. 

In a swift movement Oswald offered his hand. "Oswald Cobblepot" he informed them, as if that wasn't already clear "I suppose you are Edward Nygma? You're friend talks very highly of you. And Fish talks very highly of him. I have always trusted her Judgement... Until now perhaps." Ed was completely taken by has candour. He found himself unable to form a reply. Luckily Jerome was on hand, and he was never short of whit. 

"Should we bow Mr Cobblepot at the sight of your glorious splendour. Or would simply kissing your feet suffice?" There was clear venom in his voice. Unlike the others, Ed had always been rather fond of Jerome, he had never before felt such a passionate urge to strangle him. 

To his surprise, Oswald smiled. "You're friend is quite exciting. Though I must admit Mr Nygma that you have been a disappointment, thus far your companions have been delightfully interesting." Ed wasn't sure how a person could be a disappointment if he had not yet said anything but he didn't have long to ponder it. 

"Well I'm afraid to inform you that these interesting companions are just leaving. If you'll excuse us" Oswald gave a small nod, he was ignoring Ed now, his eyes fixated entirely on Jerome. "Ed. Come on." Jerome grabbed him roughly by the arm and pulled him over to where Barbra and Tabitha were sitting at the bar. "What the hell is wrong with you?" Jerome asked when they were all sat down "You sat there and watched him insult you. Christ I watched you get slaughtered Ed. It was pitiful" 

Ed's mind was reeling. He'd just been torn apart by a perfect stranger and he hadn't said anything in return. He slowly took his glasses off, wiped them on his jacket and set them on the bar. He pressed his fingers against his temple. "I don't even know what that was about" at some point either Jerome or Tabitha had handed him a drink, he knocked it back quickly in the hope that it might help his nerves. It didn't. Why couldn't he fight back? Why did he just Oswald talk to him like that? 

"Get you're coats. Come on. We're going." The four of them looked up in unison, Butch was standing above them, clearly seething. "Did you hear me? Get up. We're going." They all complied, finishing their drinks. Butch continued muttering under his breath. "I'll kill him the godamn... How dare he? Just How dare he?" They new better than to question Butch, especially here and now. So in procession they made their way to the exit of the iceberg lounge. As they left Ed caught the eye of Ivy who'd been smiling at the blond man near the door.

"Leaving so soon?" she asked with her usual smile. "and I haven't even got my riddle yet." 

Ed smiled bitterly back at her. "maybe another time" he lowered his voice "And would you tell Oswald Cobblepot that he is a great disappointment himself." 

 


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ed and his company reflect on the rather confusing events of the party earlier that night. Ed ponders what makes Oswald cobblepot hate him so much and comes upon a realisation.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> just to apologise for the inconsistency of my updates, sometimes I will post three chapters in one day sometimes there will be a week inbetween chapters. I'm sorry. I don't know why I'm like this.   
> Also this is a p.o.v switch so just a warning for that. And I'm really sorry it's so dialogue heavy.

They were all silent on the drive home. Butch was silently seething in the front seat. As for Ed, he found himself staring out as Gotham rushed by. What he'd done to earn Oswald Cobblepot's ire he had no idea but something about the whole scenario seemed decidedly off. What were Ivy and her friend laughing at when they looked at him? How could he be a disappointment to Oswald? What had Oswald heard of him that could make him so? And from who? And what did Butch mean by pulling them all away after he'd been so keen to make them stay. The car pulled to a halt. Neither Barbra or Tabitha said a word as they left and walked towards the apartment, they seemed to have sensed the sour mood. Jerome gave Ed a meaningful look but went after the girls in silence, leaving Ed alone with Butch. "Are you going to tell me what happened?" he asked as Butch slammed the car door shut. The air was cold but not so cold it stung, it was just sort of sobering. Butch stared at his hands for a moment and then gave a sigh.   
"He told me. Outright told me that we weren't worth his time." He grimaced "Apparently Jim Gordon told him all about you. They are bosom friends, apparently." Ed rolled his eyes, now it made sense. Ed and Jim had something of a rocky history that had left them as pretty much as arch enemies. "I actually heard him say to that ginger tart of his... he openly said that none of his guests deserved any of his attention, that the people of Gotham although tolerable had proven to be exceedingly dull. I mean who does he think he is."

"In his defence our own ginger tart was pretty rude back." Butch managed a laugh but it was clear that neither of them were entirely in the mood for jokes.

"He was particularly fixated on you, you know. " Butch muttered "Don't know if it was what Gordon had told him or if you just made a strong impression but he took a whole ten minutes to tell Ivy that you were very plain and only tolerably handsome" this time they both laughed. Perhaps Oswald Cobblepot had expected something great of him and he'd disappointed, or perhaps the whole thing had been a plot to impress his new friend Jim Gordon. Either way, Ed was sure that he and Oswald Cobblepot wouldn't be meeting in pleasurable circumstances again any time soon. 

* * *

Ivy Pepper gave a smile to the final couple filtering out of the iceberg lounge. She glanced over at Oswald who had stopped smiling to his guests and now just looked tired and a little sad. "Well you have certainly had the time of your life tonight. You've treat almost every man in gotham with scorn by now. Are you satisfied?" Oswald swirled his drink in his hand and dragged his eyes up to look at her.

"I'll be satisfied when I've scorned them all" he whispered bitterly. Tonight had been torturous in more than one respect, he hated strangers and he hated parties, he'd have much preferred an intimate dinner to welcome him to town but Ivy had insisted. He swept his eyes across the nightclub, assessing the damage. "I hate this town. I hate these people." 

"Do you think maybe you hate them because you insulted everyone you talked to and didn't give them a chance?" Victor asked from a across the room. "just a thought."

"You just need to make a friend." Ivy hummed, throwing herself down on the arm of his chair. "You're just bitter because of what Jimmy said" 

Oswald scowled at the mention of that. "I don't care what Jim thinks?"

"Oh really" Selena asked, kicking her feet up to rest on the bar. "because you gave the Nygma boy quite the talking to." 

Oswald clenched his jaw "Well he wasn't worth talking to anyway." 

"What was it Gordon said?" Victor threw the question across to Selena, they had decided to tease him apparently. 

"I think he said that Oswald wouldn't fit in in Gotham. Oh and he might have mentioned that people like Nygma and his friends were the real people of Gotham, that they could never get along with pompous strangers like us." 

"Mmm" Ivy muttered "But that didn't bother you a bit? Did it Ossy?" 

Oswald shook his head. "No it did not. Thank you" he got up from his chair and paced a few steps "I don't care what Edward Nygma thinks or any of his little friends." 

"So I shouldn't invite them to dinner next Friday?" Ivy asked looking up at him through her eyelashes. "Because we have nothing to prove." 

Oswald paced another few steps, Ivy knew that his pride demanded he prove to Edward Nygma what he was missing. "Well I see no reason to be uncivil" he said finally. 

Victor laughed so hard he almost fell off his chair "Don't you think it's a bit late for that?" 


End file.
